I was the envy of all the other bike commuters last week. Why? I had brought a windbreaker. What's the big deal? It was cold on the commute home. Why didn't the others have a windbreaker? It was warm for the morning commute and -- fer cryin' out loud -- it's May... how cold could it get? Why did I have a windbreaker? I live in Chicago, where weather apps are still more for laughs than practical use. Why didn't they -- who also live in Chicago and have for some time -- not have windbreakers? Never underestimate the power and allure of wishful thinking.
Speaking of unexpectedly needing a raincoat on Shabbos (smooth segue, no?): You have a work credit card in your possession that is needed by a non-Jewish coworker, Bob. Bob needs it for a business trip and he is leaving Saturday evening; he will only be in your neighborhood for a couple of hours Saturday morning. No problem, you decide; you'll just leave it in the right pocket of your raincoat that you'll leave hanging in your covered porch. All goes as planned. You put the credit card into the pocket of your raincoat and hang the raincoat on a peg inside your covered porch on Friday before candle lighting. Bob shows up about 10:30 AM, goes into your porch to retrieve the card, then makes his exit. (He may or may not stop to say hello; Bob's a funny guy.) Later that afternoon it starts raining and you'd like to visit your grandchildren who live just a few blocks away. You are about to grab your raincoat when you remember that credit card...
Why is that important? After all, the credit card is already on its way to Fiji with Bob. What a great time to review hilchos muktzeh! There are different categories of muktzeh, the most insidious being מוקצה מחמת גופו/intrinsically muktzeh; aka, evil muktzeh. Something which is מוקצה מחמת גופו, such a money and credit cards, are by their very nature set out of your mind on Shabbos. They have absolutely no permitted use on Shabbos, so they cannot be moved even if you their place. (You can't need the item itself; it has no permissible use on Shabbos, remember?) That's step one. Step two is: when muktzeh is placed on a supporting object -- table, tray, pocket -- that supporting object takes on the same status as the muktzeh itself. The supporting object is known in halacha as a בסיס. The word "בסיס" sounds a lot like "base", which is also it's translation. However, בסיס is not really a base, so homonymism in this case is misleading. I shall therefore leave it untranslated and untransliterated. Step three: the בסיס is identified so closely with the muktzeh, that it retains that status even if the muktzeh itself is removed. At this point, you are thinking, "Ah... credit card was removed, but pocket still has status of מוקצה מחמת גופו, so now you can't move the raincoat, so both you and your grandchildren is now sad. (The emotional state of your grandchildrens' parents will depend on whether the joy of getting to take a nap outweighs the emotional baggage of dealing with their parent/in-law. Your mileage may vary.)
Not so fast! Steps one, two, and three are 100% correct. The conclusion, however, is a mistake. The pocket most certainly is, as a בסיס to the long gone credit card, מוקצה מחמת גופו. As such, the pocket may not be moved... directly, any way. Here's the thing: the coat (notes the Mishna Brura) is certainly not a בסיס to the coat. In fact, the pocket is wholly subordinate to the coat. That means that the coat never became a בסיס to the credit card! You can go ahead and wear that raincoat to visit your grandchildren! Even though one is not allowed to move muktzeh, in this case you are moving the coat -- and the pocket is considered insignificant with respect to the coat. The pocket is just carried along for the ride, as it were.
One caveat: you may not use the pocket; not to carry something on Yom Tov nor even to keep your hands dry on Shabbos. True, the prohibition is regarding moving muktzeh, not touching it. However, it is impossible to touch the flimsy pocket without causing some movement, so even touching it will be forbidden.
The astute and careful reader my wonder why -- once we have concluded that the pocket is insignificant compared to the coat -- the coat can't be worn even if the credit card is still in the pocket. Good question. If it comes up, ask your rav.
Speaking of unexpectedly needing a raincoat on Shabbos (smooth segue, no?): You have a work credit card in your possession that is needed by a non-Jewish coworker, Bob. Bob needs it for a business trip and he is leaving Saturday evening; he will only be in your neighborhood for a couple of hours Saturday morning. No problem, you decide; you'll just leave it in the right pocket of your raincoat that you'll leave hanging in your covered porch. All goes as planned. You put the credit card into the pocket of your raincoat and hang the raincoat on a peg inside your covered porch on Friday before candle lighting. Bob shows up about 10:30 AM, goes into your porch to retrieve the card, then makes his exit. (He may or may not stop to say hello; Bob's a funny guy.) Later that afternoon it starts raining and you'd like to visit your grandchildren who live just a few blocks away. You are about to grab your raincoat when you remember that credit card...
Why is that important? After all, the credit card is already on its way to Fiji with Bob. What a great time to review hilchos muktzeh! There are different categories of muktzeh, the most insidious being מוקצה מחמת גופו/intrinsically muktzeh; aka, evil muktzeh. Something which is מוקצה מחמת גופו, such a money and credit cards, are by their very nature set out of your mind on Shabbos. They have absolutely no permitted use on Shabbos, so they cannot be moved even if you their place. (You can't need the item itself; it has no permissible use on Shabbos, remember?) That's step one. Step two is: when muktzeh is placed on a supporting object -- table, tray, pocket -- that supporting object takes on the same status as the muktzeh itself. The supporting object is known in halacha as a בסיס. The word "בסיס" sounds a lot like "base", which is also it's translation. However, בסיס is not really a base, so homonymism in this case is misleading. I shall therefore leave it untranslated and untransliterated. Step three: the בסיס is identified so closely with the muktzeh, that it retains that status even if the muktzeh itself is removed. At this point, you are thinking, "Ah... credit card was removed, but pocket still has status of מוקצה מחמת גופו, so now you can't move the raincoat, so both you and your grandchildren is now sad. (The emotional state of your grandchildrens' parents will depend on whether the joy of getting to take a nap outweighs the emotional baggage of dealing with their parent/in-law. Your mileage may vary.)
Not so fast! Steps one, two, and three are 100% correct. The conclusion, however, is a mistake. The pocket most certainly is, as a בסיס to the long gone credit card, מוקצה מחמת גופו. As such, the pocket may not be moved... directly, any way. Here's the thing: the coat (notes the Mishna Brura) is certainly not a בסיס to the coat. In fact, the pocket is wholly subordinate to the coat. That means that the coat never became a בסיס to the credit card! You can go ahead and wear that raincoat to visit your grandchildren! Even though one is not allowed to move muktzeh, in this case you are moving the coat -- and the pocket is considered insignificant with respect to the coat. The pocket is just carried along for the ride, as it were.
One caveat: you may not use the pocket; not to carry something on Yom Tov nor even to keep your hands dry on Shabbos. True, the prohibition is regarding moving muktzeh, not touching it. However, it is impossible to touch the flimsy pocket without causing some movement, so even touching it will be forbidden.
The astute and careful reader my wonder why -- once we have concluded that the pocket is insignificant compared to the coat -- the coat can't be worn even if the credit card is still in the pocket. Good question. If it comes up, ask your rav.
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